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| Caribbean Property Magazine Home / April 2010 / 'Letter From The Editor May 2010' | SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND  |
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M A Y
 2 0 1 0 Issue 40
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| In the Caribbean we are used to being stopped in our working and living tracks from a sudden cessation of utilities, communications and even transport. But we keep our problems and our creative excuses for those problems to ourselves, with a certain long-suffering amusement and maybe even pride. We certainly don't expect to be affected by someone else's transportation problems thousands of miles beyond our region.
Caribbean electrical companies are notorious for their sudden outages, with no warning. Breakdowns happen all the time with inexplicable regularity, and when the power is restored more wear and tear takes place to equipment that is manufactured for constant, steady loads and not sudden surges. And so the next breakdown is inevitable as the equipment is stressed by sudden loads it was not designed to withstand. In the BVI the standard voltage was 110, but occasionally someone got their wires crossed and we would have a magnificent 220 Volts come surging down the line, exploding fridges and microwaves with exciting results. Those being, a nasty smell of burning and the expectation of a long and hard legal battle over compensation with the monopoly power company. In Dominica, the water supply in the towns is turned off whenever it rains heavily. Why? Because heavy rains stir up mud in the pipes and tanks, contaminating the water and weeping a brown unpleasant mess into the showers and kitchen sinks of homeowners And this in a country with one of the highest rainfalls in the world. Communications are another part of life's surprises. Its very frustrating when clients and friends tell you that they tried over and over to call yesterday and could not get through to the island. Cable and Wireless design their landline system to have something like double capacity for outgoing calls, so that incoming calls can often be badly hit for bandwidth. It makes sense since there is a lot more profit to be had from international outgoing calls. And somehow the cellular service is down nearly one day a week, if we knew which one it was going to be it would be so much easier to plan! Transport can be hit occasionally when shipments of petrol/gas do not arrive and one by one the the petrol stations run out of fuel. What is more annoying is that you are finally left with nothing to run the generator on when the power fails! Vulnerable from all sides. Worse is when the airlines start to make life difficult. Last summer our lawyer was bumped off an American Eagle flight which was suddenly cancelled from Dominica to Puerto Rico. He had to attend a family wedding in New York, and when he asked when the next available flight with a seat could be allocated, he was told 'in ten days'! Of course the answer to some of the above is self sufficiency! Have absolutely nothing to do with the monopolisitic fascists running the utility companies...and go alternative!! Unfortunately this cannot be done for communications and transport. Neither can it be done for volcanic ash in our skies! We have our own volcanic incidents locally, usually from Monserrat when the volcano has a sneeze! We had one not so long ago in February and all local island flights out of the Antigua hub were cancelled for a couple of days. But recently some of us found ourselves affected by Iceland's volcanic dust which brought the airlines over Europe to an absolute halt for a week. Thats the trouble with globalisation, no-one keeps anything to themselves anymore! |
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| This issue’s Money and Property Page columns feature savvy advice from our veteran international columnists. Discover if moving money and your assets is right for you plus other well-informed guidance in our Investors and Funding. In Investment Corner we have an interesting concept for those interested in investing and an environmentally beneficial product "Green Oil". Then find out about little known, but legal and safe methods to secure your assets against the depredations of the taxman, plus also learn about the in and out of the offshore industry in Offshore Matters. Discover advice you can capitalize on in Caribbean Investor and Owner Notes and Mortgage Matters. Check out the great new deals offered straight from the developers in the Off Plan Pre-Development Offers section. Take a peek through the Editor’s Pick of the Month section, which always focuses on some great deals or a really extraordinary property. Our Clew’s Views columnist recalls his recent move to El Pino, Honduras and as always provides some insightful suggestions... Our Regular Columns begin with … Hot Off the Press Cuban Art and Culture Conference (CubaCon) set for June, 2010 in Provincetown Massachusetts…A new UN Report puts the death toll from the Haiti Earthquake at 300,000… the Chavez revolutions is losing its steam in the Venezuelan slums…the OECD crackdown on Caribbean tax havens is seen as losing its ‘teeth’…the first Caribbean-Brazil Summit has Haiti on its agenda…Cuba’s Operation Miracle Project is benefiting thousands of Salvadorans…Old Puerto Rico birth certificates are to be scrapped due to identity theft, leaving many in limbo. Sustainable Living Guyana's President is among UNEP’s 'Champions of the Environment' awardees…. Caribbean islands approve ban on ocean dumping… the Caribbean is at risk of more large earthquakes …a bacterial mat the size of Greece is found on Pacific floor off Chile…the world's third-largest dam gets the go-ahead in Brazil. Tourism Treats St. Lucia is enjoying a tourism boost thanks to increased airlift, and The Bachelor, a popular television show…..did you too think that hotels are shutting down in the Caribbean due to the economy? Think again – the DR has a slew of hotel development happening…Plus, a new Hyatt Regency opens on Curacao. Litigation is preventing a leading Caribbean resort, Four Seasons Nevis, from reopening. In Tourism news, the upcoming Caribbean Marketplace will be hosted by a new Montego Bay facility and Caribbean hotels are accommodating extended vacations due to the ash crisis in Europe. Too many airlines? Well, air analysts say so… which is prompting lots of merger talks. Read all about it here… This month’s Special Feature articles begins with WANT ADVENTURE? TRY VOLUNTEER VACATIONS, PART 2 Looking for some fun, adventure, a good Caribbean tan and a trip to the tropics that can also make you feel good about yourself? Read on! Socially conscious travel has become increasingly popular among retirees, professionals such as educators, high school and college students and many others who want to give some of their free time to helping others. Volunteer travel in the Caribbean provides an opportunity to help others while learning more about local culture – certainly much more than you would ever learn on a typical vacation hanging at the beach and bar all day. WORLD CLASS COMPETITIONS IN THE DR Most people know that the DR has plenty of water and land-based sports and other activities - and it is also well-known as a premier golf destination. However, most people don’t realize that several international associations and competitions pick DR to host many of their venues. And, when those competitions are the PGA Championship and the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship then you know that the DR is unto something BIG… FROM BLUE HOLE TO GREAT DEALS: BELIZE BECKONS EXPATS Before I moved to Belize, I'd heard of black holes in space. But then I began to hear about a famous and fabled "blue hole" in the ocean off Belize.. One that many divers fantasize about. And, I understand that it is even visible from outer space. As we don’t have polluted air down here in Belize it is easy to see our fabulous and pristine sites. The stunning offshore phenomenon known as The Great Blue Hole even fascinated Jacques Cousteau. Belizeans think it should be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. ABC ISLANDS: DUTCH, CARIBBEAN, AND OH SO DIFFERENT, PART 2 Bonaire, the least developed of the ABC island, is famous for what's not on the island, but surrounding it under the water. Diving is its magnet and it is THE spot for those who want to spend their time under the water and not gazing out at it from the beach. Curacao is quite the opposite with Willemstad, its capital a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a colonial treasure filled with historic sites and residents who speak four distinct languages. TALES OF A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER IN DOMINICA (A SERIES) In that second year of Peace Corps service, Dominica became home. Coming back to Dominica after a trip abroad, I always feel different: less tension in my shoulders, a spring in my step and a smile on my face because I am arriving in a place that I know and love. Dominica is the epitome of the Caribbean lifestyle: a beautiful environment of lush jungle and gorgeous beaches; it is less developed so no ‘concrete jungle’ syndrome; it never gets cold; you can always find something to eat off a tree, the ground or in the sea; there is water in abundance, plus the people are warm and friendly. HIDDEN GEMS OF THE FRENCH CARIBBEAN, PART 2 Marie-Galante is a place of simple rural traditions, fostering the art of living calmly and peaceable. Les Saintes are the perfect spot for those who relish unspoiled tropical beauty and the serenity that comes from doing next to nothing on a vacation, but doing it à la française. This group is scenic and breathtakingly beautiful. Both islands are a thrown back to another time, another era that does not exist in the current world of French nations and territories; and as such, they are a “must” experience. GRANADA: GREAT SULTAN OF THE GREAT LAKE Nicaragua, a country of heartbreaking and beautiful counterbalance. Granada is its jewel. One of the oldest cities in the Americas’ it maintained its old footprint, growing neither out nor up. A witness and a victim to battles with and invasions from English, French and Dutch pirates trying to take control of Nicaragua Granada was once virtually destroyed by fire. Fortunately, it survived and avoided damage during the years of conflict in Nicaragua in the 1980s. Granada is more than just the ‘Great Sultan of the Great Lake’ – it is a one-of-a-kind city that is a must see, and a city that one can never forget. Be on the lookout for our NEW magazine section aimed at Baby Boomers and Retirees in general. It will be full of insightful advise, savvy guidance, and informative interviews with expat’s who made the leap and are living their dream life in an offshore haven of their choice! Enjoy this issue and we’ll see you next month! The Editor May 2010 |
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| Since the beginning of the year, from Jamaica in the north to Guyana on the north Caribbean coast of South America including the Leewards and Windwards; we have been suffering drought conditions. In the northern latitudes everyone is having a hard, cold winter, down here instead of the cool, rainy season we expect in January and February, we have had really hot, dry days. We normally see 78-82 degrees up here in the mountains and we are seeing 90-94 degrees on a daily basis. ---> Read More | ||
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| Letter From The Editor February 2010 | ||
| Its true that we cannot do all those things that are possible in more sophisticated banks. We cannot have an escrow account, there is no such thing available. We cannot buy cash such as sterling, Euros or US dollars when travelling without at least 10 days notice for the money to be brought to Dominica from another bigger bank in Barbados or Jamaica. ---> Read More | ||
| January 0 | ||
| Letter From The Editor January 2010 | ||
| Every morning my husband walks round our four acres of orchards and grassy spaces, and returns with 2-3 large, sweet freshly picked grapefruit, a juicy orange and sometimes a carambola. With my sharp cook`s knife, I create long ribbons of peel and slice the inner fruit up together to create a fruit salad for breakfast. Then we sit on our verandah in the sunshine planning our day, consuming the citrus fruit of our labours, or rather the intermittent and inimitable labours of our Dominican gardener! ---> Read More | ||
| December 2009 | ||
| Letter From The Editor December 2009 | ||
| In my absence, Janine Goben has twice written as guest editor about politics in Honduras, and received quite a few responses from readers, some appreciative and others who felt that she had not said enough. It made me realise that politics is still one of those three topics that my parents taught me were never to be discussed outside of the family, the others are religion and sex! ---> Read More | ||
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